LOIRE VALLEY: CHATEAU de CHEVERNY

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Chateau de Cheverny

We enjoyed our night in a “real” hotel with an in suite bathroom, tiny but in our room. Best of all was the BBC on the television. But, we listened to the rain all night long and sure enough it was still raining this morning as we left on our day’s journey.

Arrived in the small village of Cheverny and easily located the Chateau that was scheduled to open about fifteen minutes after our arrival. This is another of the small but beautifully appointed Chateaux in the Loire Valley.

The Chateau de Cheverny was built in the seventeenth century by the Hurault family and is still owned by the Hurault de Vibraye family, descendants of the original builders. Each succeeding generation has enhanced, maintained and preserved the beauty and character, guided by their personal taste and that of the period. The private apartments on display were lived in until 1985; the family reserves the third floor for personal use and it is closed to the public. There are many family photos, both very old and current that are displayed in the public rooms that we toured. The large glass stag’s head in the slideshow is a contemporary design in Baccarat crystal.

The single story building behind the Chateau is known as the Orangery and may be reserved for conferences and receptions. During WW II, this building was used to house part of the treasurers of the State, including the Mona Lisa painting from the Louvre
Museum in Paris.